o'briens whale watching tours

O'Brien's Whale and Bird Tours

• See all photos

2 Hours Guided Whale and Bird Boat Tour in Bay Bulls

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

O'Brien's Whale and Bird Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

O'Brien's Whale and Bird Tours

• See all photos

2 Hours Guided Whale and Bird Boat Tour in Bay Bulls

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

O'Brien's Whale and Bird Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Itineraries
• Get Inspired
• Plan & Book
• Whale Watching at O'Brien's Boat Tours, Newfoundland's Award Winning Boat Tour.
• Atlantic Puffins Nesting at the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. 500,000 Puffins Nest Here Every Spring and Summer.
• View Half a Million Puffins During a Bird Watching Tour to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, Aboard O'Brien's Boat Tours
• Feel the Chill as you Sail Past 10,000 Year Old Icebergs Aboard O'Brien's Boat Tours
• Double Humpback Whale Breach. The Largest Population of Humpbacks Return to our Waters Each Summer, Hop Aboard, See for Yourself

Avalon Region

O'Brien's Whale & Bird Tours

• May 1 - Sep 30

Voted best boat tour by Newfoundlanders. Our guides have been delivering award-winning boat tours for 40 years. Join us and explore the beauty of Newfoundland’s coast. View ½ a million Atlantic puffins, watch majestic whales and sail past 10,000-year-old icebergs! Custom built vessel with heated cabin. Ample rail space offers every guest a bird’s eye view. Get up close and personal with nature on our Coastal Adventure Kingfisher Tour. Shuttle service available. Transport Canada Certified.

• http://www.obriensboattours.com
• +1 (709) 753 4850 +1 (877) 639 4253 (toll free)
• [email protected]
• Visit on Facebook
• Visit on Instagram
• Visit on Youtube
• View Reviews

Locations & Dates

• 22 Lower Road, Bay Bulls
• 47.3152, -52.8143

$38 - $125. See website.

• Interac/Debit
• 185 passengers
• Charter Service
• Customized Itineraries
• Food Services Available
• Group Rates
• Internet/WIFI
• Pick Up and Drop Off Services
• Private Tour Service
• Seniors Rates

Search NewfoundlandLabrador.com

Start Booking your Newfoundland & Labrador Adventure

Vous allez être redirigé vers www.exploreTNL.ca.

Ce site est géré par Horizon TNL. Il n’est pas la traduction de www.newfoundlandlabrador.com. Bonne lecture!

O'Brien's Whale & Bird Tours

Review Highlights

“ eventually we had to move on to visit the puffins and other birds on Gull Island , which is very rugged. ” in 4 reviews

“ We saw; humpback whales, fin whales, puffins and gulls. ” in 2 reviews

“ Friendly and fun tour guide who regaled us with song on the way out and on the return. ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

22 Lower Road

Bay Bulls, NL A0A 1C0

Serving Bay Bulls Area

About the Business

Open May- September O'Brien's Whale and Bird Tours has been offering Award Winning Boat Tours to visitors and locals alike for over 30 years. Sail to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve to view 1/2 a million Atlantic Puffins and millions of other seabirds. Sail past towering, 10,000 year old icebergs. Watch playful Humpback whales breach, frolic and pectoral fin slap right before your very eyes. Enjoy this two hour adventure, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Daily tours from May-September. Award Winning Boat Tour Schedule May 11:30 June 11:30 and 2:00 July-Aug 15 9:30, 11:30, 2:00 and 4:30 (9:00, 11:00, 2:00 and 4:30 on Friday's) Aug 16-Sept 12- 11:30 and 2:00 Sept 13- 30 11:30 Feeling more adventurous? The you'll want to hop aboard our Coastal Adventure Kingfisher Tour, an up close and personal experience with nature. Breathe in the fresh ocean air as you sail along side stunning sea stacks, caves and cascading waterfalls. Explore the unique natural phenomenon locally known as the Spout, a natural wave-powered geyser. Experience nature so close you can almost reach out and touch it. Coastal Adventure Kingfisher Tour schedule June 15- Sept 5 Monday, Thursday and Saturday- 9:30 *Visit our website for rates …

Recommended Reviews

• 1 star rating Not good
• 2 star rating Could’ve been better
• 3 star rating OK
• 4 star rating Good
• 5 star rating Great

Select your rating

Overall rating

A *fantastic* experience led by very knowledgeable, welcoming and charismatic tour guides. Very entertaining. Showed us breathtaking spots. Plan on doing this tour again. Bravo.

What an amazing day with O'Briens!!! From my shuttle driver who picked me up and brought me back to my hotel, to each and every member on the ship, thank you so very much for a wonderful day! You all are just the nicest people and so very much fun! Truthfully this was not the best day to tour around looking for whales and puffins because most have already started their migration ... but we saw both!!!! A Minke whale hung out with us for a good while and we were able to see about a dozen puffins along with a juvenile bald eagle I highly recommend O'Briens if you ever get the chance!!!

We had an absolutely amazing day. Captain Michael is the best; funny , smart and an incredible handler of the boat. Just wow! Highly recommend this tour with O'Briens. If you can get on the smaller boat with Captain Michael you won't regret it! We saw; humpback whales, fin whales, puffins and gulls. Michael was a superb captain. Noah was our guide and driver and he brought the energy right from the hotel pick up. Well done O'Briens!

Gord and I did an O'Brien's boat tour yesterday in Bay Bulls. Their shuttle picked us up at our hotel for the 30 minute drive. We were on the 11:30am tour. Whales are still in the area and we came across three ... they were social and eventually came near our boats. It took a while and we had to be patient. Very cool! Whale breath ... not so cool! It was horrible and smells like strong strong turnip. We stayed there for a long time ... eventually we had to move on to visit the puffins and other birds on Gull Island, which is very rugged. The sides of the island were jammed with birds. Justin was our guide and entertained us during the tour. He gave us lots of information and even sang a couple songs. He was quite funny and obviously had as much fun as we did. Alas, the two hours were over and we had to dock. It was an excellent tour and one that I would recommend if you are in St. John's.

See all photos from Teena D. for O'Brien's Whale & Bird Tours

This was a fun tour of sightseeing and bird watching... and if you're lucky, whale watching. I did this tour on May 16, 2016. It was very foggy that morning when we did the tour. It didn't become sunny until 30-40 minutes before tour ends. So it was a shame since it was harder to take photos and most possibly animals would be less available in the fog. The crew were all so friendly. Justin, the tour guide, is very knowledgeable about the area and the various animals. He can pinpoint what bird is flying and how to differentiate between murres, puffins and other birds in the area based on color, flight and beaks even from afar! He also has a great voice since he sang two Newfoundland songs that's related to the tour! So fun! You can take photos with the captain. And he was friendly to actually come by and tell us to take a captain's seat photo and explained some of the controls in the boat. We went to Gull Island and Green Island. Based on the photos I took, the puffins were more prominent in the Gull Island and murres dominated the Green Island. I can't believe how many birds there were. It's probably the most concentrated groups of birds I've seen ever. There are a lot of beautiful nature to be seen in this tour as you cruise around Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. Be sure your camera is fully charged!

See all photos from Raymond C. for O'Brien's Whale & Bird Tours

The best!!! We saw plenty of whales and puffins close up and personal. The whales gave us quite a show (see my pic). Our hosts were great and made the tour fun with a bit of song and dance and jokes intermingled with historical facts about the area. I would recommend this tour as a "must do" for people visiting Newfoundland and for locals. Bring a jacket with a hood--can get a bit chilly.

We had a perfect day. Saw at least 20 whales today. Three species of whale--humpback, minske, and finback. A whale and her calf got close enough to the boat that we could have touched them! Frank was our host and sang two songs to us. Sean was a great bartender and whale finder. Also saw lots of birds, including puffins. We became honorary Newfoundlanders, having been "Screeched In" at the end of the tour.

This Review is on The Food Only. Not on the tour itself. Our tour group, had a dinner ( 50 ) , and my only suggestion is minor. I think they need to serve a hot dinner buy or a biscuit with the first course, which was spinach salad. And also, heat up the dinner plated. If you serve hot food on a cold plate, it takes away from the taste. The dinner was excellent. My Cod Fish was perfect. And big portions too. We all enjoyed ourselves. The server's were very sweet. There is a bar, serves, Beer and Wine. We had the Partridge Berry Pound Cake. Very good, BUT, needed a dollop of Whip Cream !

Perfect whale watching tour for families with young children! Excellent enclosed area at the center of the boat with big viewing windows. Warm from the wind as well! For safety nuts like myself it was wonderful to see the kiddos able to move about without worrying they were about to fall overboard!! We went out to the railing to see the fabulous Mink whale that swam alongside our boat in the harbor! Well narrated and we got lucky bc our narrator also sang some NL classic songs in a bright voice. The kiddos loved it! Gorgeous scenery--stunning coastline. A well run operation all around! They spent a lot of time looking at the puffins and birds which was not my favorite part but the open sea and the whale siting early on was awesome!

Amazing tours. We had a great time with O'Briens. We saw thousands of puffins, auks, murres and seagulls. We even saw a bald eagle. The guides were very informative and fun. Our guide even sang us a few songs. Definitely a great thing to do on a vacation. Would definitely recommend.

People Also Viewed

Bonne Esperance House

Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours

Gatherall’s Puffin and Whale Watch

Wild Things

Iceberg Quest

Ecotours Zodiac Adventures

Legend Tours

St John’s International Airport Authority

Skipper Ben’s

Quidi Vidi Brewery

Mines Near Me

Tours Near Me

Other Tours Nearby

Find more Tours near O'Brien's Whale & Bird Tours

Related Cost Guides

Town Car Service

O’Brien’s Boat Tours, Award Winning Whale and Bird Tours in St. John’s

By: Author Raymond Cua

Posted on Last updated: September 24, 2019

When we visited St. John’s, Newfoundland, we knew it was known for puffins and whales so we were excited to do the O’Brien’s Boat Tours .

This award-winning whale and bird tours is one of the best things to do in St. John’s , giving a fun-filled day of going around different islands for bird watching and in the hopes of spotting some whales.

It was very foggy that morning when we did O’Brien’s Boat Tours, and it didn’t become sunny until 30-40 minutes before the tour ended.

It was a shame since it was harder to take photos and animals would be less likely to be visible in the fog. We didn’t see any whales on our tour, but that’s nature’s luck of the draw.

Also Read: Big Animal Encounters by Pacific Pro Drive and Marine Adventures

Travelling Foodie Tip: May is very early in the season for Whales and based on O’Brien’s 32 years experience the best time for whale watching is during the month of July.

The good thing with O’Brien’s Boat Tours is you may reschedule the tour in case you find the weather for your scheduled tour is not good.

The crew in our Whale and Bird Tour was all so friendly.

Justin, the tour guide, is very knowledgeable about the area and the various animals. He can pinpoint what bird is flying and how to differentiate between murres, puffins and other birds in the area based on color, flight and beaks even from afar!

Justin also has a great voice. He sang two Newfoundland songs that are related to the tour! So fun!

You can take photos with the captain. And he was friendly to actually come out and tell us to take a captain’s seat photo and explained some of the controls in the boat.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Journey Traveler Raymond Cua (@journeytraveler)

O’Brien’s Whale and Bird Watching Tours took us to Gull Island and Green Island. Based on the photos I took, the puffins were more prominent in the Gull Island and murres dominated the Green Island.

I can’t believe how many birds there were on one island. It’s probably the most concentrated groups of birds I’ve seen ever.

One thing to note is that you won’t be able to get a photo up-close unless you have a zoom lens. I was hoping we’d be going down the island to see the Puffins up-close.

There is a lot of beautiful nature to be seen in O’Brien’s Boat Tours as you cruise around Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. Be sure your camera is fully charged!

O’Brien’s Boat Tours is definitely one of the best things to do in St. John’s especially for nature lovers! And I hope this article helps you decide what attractions you want to do in St. John’s.

O’Brien’s Boat Tour s Website / Address: 22 Lower Rd, Bay Bulls, NL A0A 1C0

Disclaimer: Although this was a sponsored tour with O’Brien’s, the opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of the company’s.

Enjoy the content and want to support? Buy me a coffee ☕

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Updated: September 24, 2019 by Raymond Cua

Witless Bay Ecological Reserve Boat Tour

The top 3 things I wanted to see in Newfoundland were icebergs, puffins, and whales. With that in mind, we did a little research and found  O’Brien’s Boat Tours . We booked their  Award Winning Boat Tour   which they say was voted the best boat tour by Newfoundlanders.

This tour leaves from the O’Brien’s base in Bay Bulls (which is a 30 minute drive south of St. John’s) and heads out to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve by boat. The reserve consists of four islands and is known for being where thousands of seabirds return to every year to breed and have their babies. According to the  Newfoundland Fisheries and Land Resources site , it is home to the largest Atlantic puffin colony in North America!

The boat tour first passes by some beautiful rock formations, so we marvelled at them while our captain sang some Newfoundland folk songs (which I’ve really come to love)! The day we went, there was initially a thin layer of fog which made everything look a little mysterious!

As we got deeper into the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, we started spotting some familiar looking birds in the water. The puffins were in the water! This was the first time I saw puffins in person so I was ecstatic!

As our boat approached the islands, our eyes widened in surprise. What had seemed like dots on the rock in the distance turned out to be hundreds of birds!

Amongst the hundreds and many even thousands of birds, we spotted more puffins, kittiwakes, and common murres. I won’t pretend to be an expert on birds. Aside from puffins, I didn’t know what the other birds were, but the captains on the boat tour did a fabulous job of pointing out the different birds to us, while also telling us interesting facts about them. Did you know that a common murre’s egg is pointy because they lay their eggs on bare cliffs and the pointy shape prevents them from falling into the sea?

At one point while heading from one island to the next, hundreds of birds were flying above us. I’m not going to lie, it reminded me a little bit of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, but it was pretty surreal to see as well!

On the way back towards Bay Bulls, we circled around an iceberg! It was amazing to see up close. And there goes a check off my Newfoundland bucket list!

So who should book this tour?

I think it’s perfect for bird enthusiasts – you’ll see hundreds of them! Whales and icebergs might be seen, but of course that can’t be guaranteed since part of that is based on luck. If your main goal is to see icebergs and you’re heading out further northeast in Newfoundland, you’ll see more and likely bigger ones out there. But if you’re only going to be in St. John’s this is a great tour to increase your chances of seeing an iceberg.

Tips to make your tour more enjoyable

If you do decide to book this tour, here are some tips for you: – Sit on the left side of the boat facing the front as that’s the side closest to the birds. – Bring binoculars if you want to get a clearer view of the birds. – It got really cold when I went (I went in mid-June) so bundle up! – The boat is equipped with a bar (where you can get some iceberg beer while you’re viewing icebergs!) and washrooms. – For a fee, you can get a screech-in on board. You’ll be an honorary Newfoundlander if you screech in! – There’s a restaurant (Sailor’s Galley Restaurant) upstairs of O’Brien’s base in Bay Bulls, above their giftshop. The food was pretty good there, but tables are limited so you might want to reserve a table in advance. – Washrooms can be found in the gift shop as well as in the waiting area by the dock. – If you’re interested in a tour, it’s recommended that you  book it in advance !

Quick disclaimer: I was not paid to advertise or write about O’Brien’s Award Winning tour. I just wanted to share my experiences!

Check out the original article  here .

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

About the author: sbadmin.

Related Posts

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.